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Bodhi is turning out to be the blogger’s brand with a tremendous outpouring of online love for their more iconic products. When founder Elijah Choo got in touch through twitter, I was thrilled at the opportunity to try out some more of their products and felt like a child at Christmas when a mysterious box showed up one Saturday morning shortly afterwards.

Predictably, after spreading (eco-friendly, recyclable) packaging all over my bed, I went straight for the Bodhi Desert Rose Rejuvenating Face Oil*. I wasn’t mad keen on the smell, which is an oriental, spicy rose, but the ingredients list looked very promising. If there’s one thing I know, said I, it’s facial oils.

But I didn’t know this one and now I’m in two minds as to whether I’m happy or not to have made its acquaintance.

When I’m testing facial oils or moisturisers, I try really hard not to mix up my routine too much or swap in other new products at the same time. Otherwise it’s much more difficult to assess how your skin’s reacting. So I kept my routine EXACTLY the same (Antipodes Vanilla Pod Hydrating Day Cream and Antipodes Avocado Pear Nourishing Night Cream if you’re taking notes…) and introduced the Bodhi facial oil between cleanser and moisturiser in the evenings.

It took about three days before I started to note some subtle changes. Somehow, without being able to put my finger on exactly what was causing the difference, my skin was just better. In the same way that a really good trim freshens and revitalises your hair without drastically changing your look.

After about a week, it was clearer what the difference was. Everything about my face was calmer and more stable, if that makes sense. Very little redness – which is a. big. deal – and more hydrated. I felt like I needed to use less moisturiser. I was waking up looking like I’d slept just a little more than I actually had. There’s been no flaky nostril skin and a little less seasonal greyness. Perhaps, just perhaps, I’d been rejuvenated?

After a couple of weeks, the glow of ‘my skin only better’ hadn’t dimmed. I’m really impressed.

And now for the stinger.

30ml will set you back £56. (Although you can try it out by getting 5ml for £14 from Bodhi and just £9.95 from Naturisimo.) [Update: to ensure their products stay as fresh as possible, Bodhi now only sell the Desert Rose Rejuvenating Face Oil in a 15ml size, which retails at £38.]

Don’t get me wrong; I’m not arguing that this is overpriced. Top of the list of ingredients is argan oil, followed by kukui nut. Normally you see the less expensive hydrators – like sweet almond or sunflower oil – at the top of the pile. Plus there’s rosa damascena in there and aromatherapists who can only dream of having it in their kit will already know that about 10ml of pure oil from a reputable supplier will set you back about £90. It’s precious stuff. These are top performing skincare ingredients and they work.

I almost wish I didn’t know how well they work in the Bodhi face oil but now I do and I’m going to need to figure out how many impulse buys I need to leave on the shelf before I can afford to replace it.

Based on my experiences, I’d say the skincare range is well worth the investment. Enjoy the bath products – I’ve found the scent payoff is huge. They’re the kind of fragrances that make your bathroom (and the rest of your house if you leave the door open) smell like an upmarket spa! x